Boxing
Coach Joel Diaz: Israil Madrimov ‘very confident’ in Terence Crawford
Published
6 months agoon
By
J. HumzaFor trainer Joel Diaz, the cycle has come full circle within the walls of his storied Indio, California gym, from the rush of excitement over witnessing the incredible talent of a juvenile Terence Crawford to plotting Crawford’s revenge against Diaz’s junior middleweight champion, Israil Madrimov.
“It’s a very arduous task. Terence Crawford is the best fighter in the world, no weight divisions, and he’s very versatile. It’s an honor to work on a plan to beat him. We have a good strategy with a good fighter,” Diaz said on ProBox TV.
Three-division champion Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) will fight for the fourth-division title against World Boxing Association titleholder Madrimov (10-0-1, 7 KOs) in Saturday’s main event at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. A win could put Crawford one step closer to a meeting with four-division champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.
While Diaz knows that Nebraska’s Crawford lives an forthright life and wields power with both hands, the same can be said about Uzbekistan’s Madrimov.
“You don’t know what to expect from Crawford, and Madrimov is the same. They both dominate their positions on both sides [sides]so we had good left-handed, right-handed, swift hitters, so we can be ready,” Diaz said. “We’ll look at Plan A, B and C against Terence Crawford. We know [who] “we enter the ring against.”
Indeed, it was a juvenile Crawford, with just 10 professional fights under his belt, who was sent to Indio by his then-manager Cameron Dunkin to train with another Dunkin fighter, future two-division champion Timothy Bradley Jr., who would later become a Hall of Famer.
Crawford was a dazzling talent, a flashy talent that allowed him to win world lightweight titles, become the undisputed 140-pound champion and then capture all the welterweight belts by knocking out Errol Spence Jr. by technical knockout in the ninth round a year ago Monday.
But Diaz also witnessed the rise of Madrimov, an established amateur who had more than 300 fights and was looking to make his pro debut against then-154-pound champion Jaime Munguia.
“He was 100 percent disciplined… he makes his opponents uncomfortable and it won’t be basic for Crawford,” Diaz said. “Israil is very confident.”
Crawford will also turn 37 in September and Madrimov weighs in at around 175 pounds, so the seasoned champion has some age and size limitations to overcome.
“Those who know boxing know what age is,” Diaz said. “Every camp has its wear and tear.
“A lot of things give me hope. Crawford was great at 140. Now he’s moving up to 154. Madrimov is a solid 154. We’ll see how Crawford’s punches affect him.”
This theory is based on something they witnessed firsthand when Alvarez returned to lithe heavyweight and was unable to threaten Madrimov’s close friend and teammate, undefeated lithe heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol, who was coming off a convincing win in 2022.
“Israil gave me a lot of hope that he would come out victorious,” Diaz said.
Diaz spoke of Madrimov’s supreme level of athleticism. He is a former gymnast who also competes in martial arts.
“He’s getting stronger with every round,” Diaz said. “He’s really astute and has a killer instinct.”
Reflecting on Diaz’s performance, ProBox TV’s “Deep Waters” analyst Paulie Malignaggi said, “Joel Diaz knows how to get the best out of a fighter. Madrimov’s threat is real.”
Analyst Chris Algieri considers Madrimov a “arduous candidate.”
“Diaz just drilled into his head all the arguments why – [Madrimov’s] The change of sides, the fluidity… when you talk about that discipline and experience, it makes the fight that much more intriguing.”
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Boxing
Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC
Published
2 days agoon
January 13, 2025The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).
If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.
“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”
29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.
Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.
“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”
Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.
The next move is Badou Jack’s.
Boxing
Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years
Published
4 days agoon
January 12, 2025Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.
This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.
In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.
“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.
“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.
Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.
Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.
Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.
However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.
In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.
It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.
Boxing
Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios
Published
1 week agoon
January 6, 2025WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.
Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”
WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.
Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.
As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.
However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.
Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.
Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.
Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.
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